| 1. |
- Al-Kass, Ziyad, et al.
(författare)
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Sperm Quality during Storage Is Not Affected by the Presence of Antibiotics in EquiPlus Semen Extender but Is Improved by Single Layer Centrifugation
- 2018
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contamination of semen with bacteria arises during semen collection and handling. This bacterial contamination is typically controlled by adding antibiotics to semen extenders but intensive usage of antibiotics can lead to the development of bacterial resistance and may be detrimental to sperm quality. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of antibiotics in a semen extender on sperm quality and to investigate the effects of removal of bacteria by modified Single Layer Centrifugation (MSLC) through a colloid. Semen was collected from six adult pony stallions (three ejaculates per male). Aliquots of extended semen were used for MSLC with Equicoll, resulting in four treatment groups: control and MSLC in extender with antibiotics (CA and SA, respectively); control and MSLC in extender without antibiotics (CW and SW, respectively). Sperm motility, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential and chromatin integrity were evaluated daily by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) and flow cytometry. There were no differences in sperm quality between CA and CW, or between SA and SW, although progressive motility was negatively correlated to total bacterial counts at 0 h. However, MSLC groups showed higher mean total motility (P < 0.001), progressive motility (P < 0.05), membrane integrity (P < 0.0001) and mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05), as well as better chromatin integrity (P < 0.05), than controls. Sperm quality remained higher in the MSLC groups than controls throughout storage. These results indicate that sperm quality was not adversely affected by the presence of antibiotics but was improved considerably by MSLC.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Khare, Shweta, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotic Prescribing by Informal Healthcare Providers for Common Illnesses : A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in Rural India
- 2019
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI. - 2079-6382. ; 8:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) are predominant healthcare providers in rural India, who prescribe without formal training. Antibiotic prescription by IHCPs could provide crucial information for controlling antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study is to determine the practices and seasonal changes in antibiotic prescribing for common illnesses by IHCPs. A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted over 18 months, covering different seasons in the rural demographic surveillance site, at Ujjain, India. Prescriptions given to outpatients by 12 IHCPs were collected. In total, 15,322 prescriptions for 323 different complaint combinations were analyzed, of which 11,336 (74%) included antibiotics. The results showed that 14,620 (95%) of antibiotics prescribed were broad spectrum and the most commonly prescribed were fluoroquinolones (4771,31%), followed by penicillin with an extended spectrum (4119,27%) and third-generation cephalosporin (3069,20%). Antibiotics were prescribed more frequently in oral and dental problems (1126,88%), fever (3569,87%), and upper respiratory tract infections (3273, 81%); more during the monsoon season (2350,76%); and more frequently to children (3340,81%) than to adults (7996,71%). The study concludes that antibiotics were the more commonly prescribed drugs compared to other medications for common illnesses, most of which are broad-spectrum antibiotics, a situation that warrants further investigations followed by immediate and coordinated efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by IHCPs.
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| 4. |
- Mehta, Rishika, et al.
(författare)
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Emerging Chryseobacterium indologenes Infection in Indian Neonatal Intensive Care Units : A Case Report
- 2018
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 7:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antibiotic-resistant pathogens and nosocomial infections constitute common and serious problems for neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units worldwide. Chryseobacterium indologenes is a non-lactose-fermenting, gram-negative, health care-associated pathogen (HCAP). It is ubiquitous and intrinsically resistant to several antibiotics. Despite its low virulence, C. indologenes has been widely reported to cause life-threatening infections. Patients on chronic immunosuppressant drugs, harboring invasive devices and indwelling catheters become the nidus for C. indologenes. Typically, C. indologenes causes major health care-associated infections such as pneumonia, empyema, pyelonephritis, cystitis, peritonitis, meningitis, and bacteremia in patients harboring central venous catheters. Management of C. indologenes infection in neonates is not adequately documented owing to underreporting, particularly in India. Because of its multidrug resistance and the scant availability of data from the literature, the effective empirical treatment of C. indologenes is challenging. We present an uncommon case of bacteremia caused by C. indologenes in a preterm newborn baby with moderate respiratory distress syndrome who was successfully treated. We also provide a review of infections in the neonatal age group. Henceforth, in neonates receiving treatments involving invasive equipment use and long-term antibiotic therapy, multidrug resistant C. indologenes should be considered an HCAP.
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| 5. |
- Mgbeahuruike, E. E., et al.
(författare)
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Antimicrobial and Synergistic Effects of Commercial Piperine and Piperlongumine in Combination with Conventional Antimicrobials
- 2019
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 8:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbial resistance to currently available antibiotics is a public health problem in the fight against infectious diseases. Most antibiotics are characterized by numerous side effects that may be harmful to normal body cells. To improve the efficacy of these antibiotics and to find an alternative way to minimize the adverse effects associated with most conventional antibiotics, piperine and piperlongumine were screened in combination with conventional rifampicin, tetracycline, and itraconazole to evaluate their synergistic, additive, or antagonistic interactions against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The fractional inhibitory concentration index was used to estimate the synergistic effects of various combination ratios of the piperamides and antibiotics against the bacterial and fungal strains. Both piperine and piperlongumine showed synergistic effects against S. aureus when combined at various ratios with rifampicin. Synergistic interaction was also observed with piperine in combination with tetracycline against S. aureus, while antagonistic interaction was recorded for piperlongumine and tetracycline against S. aureus. All the piperamide/antibacterial combinations tested against P. aeruginosa showed antagonistic effects, with the exception of piperine and rifampicin, which recorded synergistic interaction at a ratio of 9:1 rifampicin/piperine. No synergistic interaction was observed when the commercial compounds were combined with itraconazole and tested against C. albicans. The results showed that piperine and piperlongumine are capable of improving the effectiveness of rifampicin and tetracycline. Dosage combinations of these bioactive compounds with the antibiotics used may be a better option for the treatment of bacterial infections that aims to minimize the adverse effects associated with the use of these conventional antibacterial drugs.
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| 6. |
- Muheim, Claudio, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a Fragment-Based Scaffold that Inhibits the Glycosyltransferase WaaG from Escherichia coli
- 2016
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- WaaG is a glycosyltransferase that is involved in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria. Inhibitors of WaaG are highly sought after as they could be used to inhibit the biosynthesis of the core region of lipopolysaccharide, which would improve the uptake of antibiotics. Herein, we establish an activity assay for WaaG using C-14-labeled UDP-glucose and LPS purified from a increment waaG strain of Escherichia coli. We noted that addition of the lipids phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL), as well as the detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) increased activity. We then use the assay to determine if three molecular scaffolds, which bind to WaaG, could inhibit its activity in vitro. We show that 4-(2-amino-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)phenol inhibits WaaG (IC50 1.0 mM), but that the other scaffolds do not. This study represents an important step towards an inhibitor of WaaG by fragment-based lead discovery.
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| 7. |
- Sallam, Malik, et al.
(författare)
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Trends in Antimicrobial Drug Resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates at Jordan University Hospital (2000–2018)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 8:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) in pneumococci complicates the treatment of serious pneumococcal infections. Country-specific AMR patterns can help to establish guidelines for empiric therapy. The aim of the current study was to analyze the distribution of AMR among Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) during 2000–2018. Paper-based and electronic clinical data registry records from 2000 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed to study the AMR among pneumococcal isolates at JUH. Temporal trend analysis was done using two-tailed linear-by-linear test for association. The total number of unique pneumococcal isolates that were identified was 556, of which 544 isolates had antimicrobial susceptibility testing results. The most frequent specimens were eye (n = 117, 21.0%), bloodstream (n = 93, 16.7%) and sputum (n = 81, 14.6%). Invasive infections represented 23.6% of all unique isolates. The overall susceptibility of S. pneumoniae isolates during the study period to different antimicrobials was: 100% to vancomycin, 97.7% to ceftriaxone, 97.1% to cefotaxime, 94.9% to chloramphenicol, 89.7% to penicillin, 83.8% to levofloxacin, 67.7% to clindamycin and 52.1% to erythromycin. The prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) was 8.6% (95% confidence interval: 6.4–11.5%). Trend analysis showed an increase in the prevalence of non-susceptibility to erythromycin, clindamycin and levofloxacin (p < 0.001). MDR prevalence increased from 1.6% in the first quarter to 14.6% in the fourth quarter (p < 0.001). The incidence of invasive infections declined over the study period (p < 0.001). The increase in the prevalence of AMR and MDR among pneumococcal isolates in Jordan demands judicious use of antimicrobials and regular surveillance of resistance.
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| 8. |
- Zhen, XM, et al.
(författare)
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The Clinical and Economic Impact of Antibiotic Resistance in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- 2019
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Ingår i: Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland). - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 8:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, especially in China. This study aims to analyze the published literature on the clinical and economic impact of ABR or multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria compared to susceptible bacteria or non-infection, in mainland China. English and Chinese databases were searched to identify relevant studies evaluating mortality, hospital stay, and hospital costs of ABR. A meta-analysis of mortality was performed using a random effects model. The costs were converted into 2015 United States (US) dollars. Of 13,693 studies identified, 44 eligible studies were included. Twenty-nine investigated the impact of ABR on hospital mortality, 37 were focused on hospital stay, and 21 on hospital costs. Patients with ABR were associated with a greater risk of overall mortality compared to those with susceptibility or those without infection (odds ratio: 2.67 and 3.29, 95% confidence interval: 2.18–3.26 and 1.71–6.33, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The extra mean total hospital stay and total hospital cost were reported, ranging from 3 to 46 days, and from US$238 to US$16,496, respectively. Our study indicates that ABR is associated with significantly higher mortality. Moreover, ABR is not always, but usually, associated with significantly longer hospital stay and higher hospital costs.
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| 9. |
- Ali, MH, et al.
(författare)
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Predictors of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Sudan
- 2019
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Ingår i: Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland). - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 8:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global public health threat and burden on the health system. This is especially the case in high tuberculosis (TB) prevalence countries, such as Sudan. Consequently, this study aimed to ascertain the predictors of MDR-TB in Sudan to provide future guidance. An unmatched case-control study to assess the predictors of MDR-TB infections among the Sudanese population was conducted from August 2017 to January 2018 at Abu-Anga referral hospital. Patients’ data was gathered from patients’ cards and via interviews. A structured pre-validated questionnaire was used to gather pertinent information, which included sociodemographic characteristics and other relevant clinical data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the predictors of MDR-TB infection. 76 of the 183 patients interviewed (41.5%) had MDR-TB cases. The independent predictors for MDR-TB were living in rural areas [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–8.2)], treatment failure [aOR = 56.9 (10.2–319.2)], and smoking [(aOR = 4 (1.2–13.2)], whereas other sociodemographic factors did not predict MDR-TB. In conclusion, the study showed that a history of smoking, living in rural areas, and a previous treatment failure were the predictors of MDR-TB in Sudan. The latter factors are most likely due to issues that are related to access and adherence to treatment and lifestyle. The existence of any of these factors among newly diagnosed TB patients should alert clinicians for the screening of MDR-TB. The implementation of directly observed treatment (DOT) and health education are crucial in stopping the spread of MDR-TB in Sudan.
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| 10. |
- Song, Tianyan, et al.
(författare)
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Sub-Optimal Treatment of Bacterial Biofilms
- 2016
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Ingår i: Antibiotics. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 5:2
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bacterial biofilm is an emerging clinical problem recognized in the treatment of infectious diseases within the last two decades. The appearance of microbial biofilm in clinical settings is steadily increasing due to several reasons including the increased use of quality of life-improving artificial devices. In contrast to infections caused by planktonic bacteria that respond relatively well to standard antibiotic therapy, biofilm-forming bacteria tend to cause chronic infections whereby infections persist despite seemingly adequate antibiotic therapy. This review briefly describes the responses of biofilm matrix components and biofilm-associated bacteria towards sub-lethal concentrations of antimicrobial agents, which may include the generation of genetic and phenotypic variabilities. Clinical implications of bacterial biofilms in relation to antibiotic treatments are also discussed.
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